Volume 39, Issue 1 -

The one-step lining and deacidification process of aged newspapers with double-sided writing combines deacidification and reinforcement processes. Wheat starch paste or carboxymethyl cellulose were prepared using an aqueous solution of Ca(OH) 2 . The newspapers were lined with Japanese tissue (9 g/m 2 ), using the alkaline adhesive in order to mechanically reinforce the newspapers and at the same time increase the pH of the paper. After treatment, the pH value of the newspaper samples reached an ideal range between 8.0–8.5 when the w .1% Ca(OH) 2 was used. More notably, the Japanese tissue lining doubled strength and folding endurance. The treatment had little impact on the visual appearance of the writing and even increased the degree of whiteness of the paper. The increase of tensile strength and whiteness was not diminished even when the treated newspaper samples were exposed to accelerated thermal ageing.

A field emission scanning electron microscopy analysis was carried out to determine the origin of the oriental printing inks used in The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty , which are a national treasure of the Republic of Korea and listed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. The average diameters of the carbon black found in the printing inks of all the samples were in the range of 30–500 nm. The carbon black diameters of the printing inks in J-Se 68, J-Se 124, and T-Gwang 37 were 80–130 nm, whereas those of the printing inks in J-Seong 1, T-In 46, and T-Heon 4 were larger than 150 nm. It could be concluded that the printing inks in J-Se 68, J-Se 124, and T-Gwang 37 are lampblack ink, and those in J-Seong 1, T-In 46, and T-Heon 4 are charcoal ink. Furthermore, the results of infrared (IR) and principal component analysis (PCA) of printing inks suggest that there was no difference in the binding medium used in the manufacturing process of the charcoal ink stick and the lampblack ink stick.

Accelerated ageing is an often-used tool in conservation research, yet difficult to apply to parchment due to the materials inherent heat sensitivity. The complexity of this organic material makes the analysis of its deterioration especially challenging. An attempt to develop a non-heat ageing protocol for parchment is described in this paper. The work was performed within the scope of a MA-thesis at the State Academy of Art and Design Stuttgart. Samples of a modern new limed goat parchment and pieces of reconstituted parchment made from bovine hide powder were subjected to a combination of light ageing and dynamic ageing at moderate temperatures. All samples were analysed with the goal to observe degradation on as many structural levels as possible: colour measurement via VIS spectrometry and light-microscopic observation of fibre damage were employed to assess visible changes. Shrinkage temperature (Ts) was measured as an indicator for the amount of intact intrafibrillar bonds and the determination of the maximum moisture absorption capacity gave an impression on the parchments overall level of hygroscopy. In addition, PMF (Peptid Mass Fingerprinting) via MALDI/MS TOF was performed on extracts from unaged and light aged goat parchment. The results of the different types of analysis showed significant degradation on different structural levels of the parchment, indicating that accelerated ageing of parchment that uses a combination of light and dynamic ageing may be a viable alternative to the more commonly applied thermal ageing.

Daluang or dluwang is an Indonesian traditional ‘near paper’ that is made of Saeh, a type of mulberry plant. Daluang or dluwang were used as a writing material in Java during the Islamic era. Cirebon, West Java Province, Indonesia, is one of daluang manuscript collection sources in Indonesia. The manuscripts belong to the local society and the royal family. The objective of this research is to provide a brief history of daluang production and use and to identify deterioration phenomena of daluang manuscripts which belong to the Cirebon society. The data was collected by literature study, interviews and a survey examining daluang manuscripts. The findings from this study are an important documentation of the present condition of daluang manuscripts in Cirebon. Furthermore, this paper offers guidance for a condition survey of daluang manuscript collections and identifies weaknesses in the current practice of preservation, offering suggestions for optimized storage conditions.